Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, representing Minnesota, was unfazed when asked about the GOP’s newly proposed resolution aiming to restrict foreign-born individuals from serving in Congress. Omar’s response to Fox News Digital was succinct: “Good luck to her,” referring to the legislation.
This proposal comes from Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, who announced a constitutional amendment requiring all members of Congress, federal judges, or Senate-confirmed officers to be natural-born citizens. This standard currently applies to the presidency and vice presidency in the United States.
Rep. Mace explicitly identified particular individuals in Congress in her announcement on the social media platform X. She named Ilhan Omar, Shri Thanedar, and Pramila Jayapal, all born outside the United States, emphasizing their lack of birthright citizenship and questioning their loyalty to America.
At present, Congress includes 26 members who were not natural-born citizens, consisting of 19 Democrats and seven Republicans. Despite this legislative move, Omar expressed little concern regarding the proposal’s likelihood of passing.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mace insisted on exclusive power-holding by natural-born citizens, citing concerns over foreign-born members and their loyalty. She believes their allegiance is not genuinely American and asserts that this is evident daily.
Changing the Constitution requires significant legislative support, including approval from two-thirds of both houses and ratification by three-fourths of the states. The resolution has yet to gain substantial backing from GOP leadership or a large coalition of Republican supporters.
Omar was also questioned about another legislative effort linked to foreign allegiance. The “Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act,” introduced by Rep. Randy Fine from Florida, proposes banning individuals with dual citizenship from serving in Congress unless they renounce their foreign citizenship.
Rep. Fine, when introducing his bill, stated, “I think it’s a fair argument to say you can only swear allegiance to one country, and if you’re in Congress, that allegiance should be to America.” His legislation has not progressed significantly since being referred to the Judiciary Committee.